B
Shirley, an elephant, has something to say. She opens her mouth and speaks. The nearby elephants understand the sound, but it is just noise to me.
What is Shirley exactly saying? Scientists are not sure, but they are trying to find out how elephants communicate. I visited Shirley at the Elephant Sanctuary(保护区) in Hohenwald, Tennessee. The sanctuary is home to Shirley and five other elephants—Bunny, Jenny, Sissy, Tarra and Winkie. All six animals were once in zoos or circuses(马戏团). Now they walk freely in the forest.
A Noisy Group
Not all the elephants speak like Shirley. Tarra speaks like a sea lion when she is happy. Bunny squeaks(吱吱叫) often. I soon get used to hearing the different voices of the elephants. When one grey giant comes close to me, I know which elephant it is.
Elephants also communicate in a way that people can’t hear. Scientists believe that the sound of elephants can travel for miles. Elephants in a group use it to keep in touch when they are alone.
Old Friends
The elephants speak to one another for the same reasons people talk. Sometimes they even shout with excitement. When Shirley first came to the sanctuary, Jenny looked at her and began to shout. Shirley shouted back. At first, the animal keepers had no idea what it was about. Later, they discovered that Shirley and Jenny had stayed together for 20 years earlier in a circus. They still knew each other.

There are two kinds of elephants—Asian elephants and African elephants. In the wild, both kinds are endangered. In 1970, almost 2 million Asian elephants lived in the wild in Southeast Asia. Now there are only 25,600 to 32,750 elephants living there. Their home is being gradually destroyed. As the population grows, humans are building on more of the land. In Africa, many wild elephants lived there 20 years ago. But today, only half of them still live there.
6. What does the writer mainly describe in the first half of the passage?
A. Different sounds made by elephants.
B. What it is like to be an elephant.
C. Ways to save the elephants' home.
D. How to plan a visit to an elephant's home.
7. Which of the following can be put back into the blank?
A. The Wild Elephants
B. African Elephants
C. Asian Elephants
D. Elephants in Danger
8. If there were 2 thousand wild elephants living in Africa 20 years ago, how many of them are still there now?
A. 25,600.
B. 32,750.
C. 1,000.
D. 10,000.
9. What can we infer from the passage?
A. Elephants also communicate with people.
B. The sound of elephants can travel to a faraway place.
C. Some elephants like to make noise.
D. Many elephants live alone.
10. Where is the passage most probably from?
A. A storybook.
B. A travel guide.
C. A comic book.
D. An animal magazine.